Gauge cock



July- 29 1924.

w. Q, ASHE GAUGE COCK Original Filed June 15. 1921 Patente July 29, 1924..

irso srArEs 1 1,502,650 PATENT OFFICE.-

WI LLIAM OLIVER ASHE, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NATHAN MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

GAUGE 0001:.

Original application filed June 16, 1921, Serial No. 477,872. Divided and this application filed September 12, 1922. Serial ;No. 587,830.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, \VILLIAM OLIVER ASHE, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Yonkers, in the countyof VVestchester 'and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in a .Gauge Cook, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gauge cocks, and more particularly-to the adaptation and arrangement of parts in connection therewith, as will be more fully hereinafter pointed out.

This is a division of my application Serial No. 477,872, filed in the United States Patent Ofiice June 16, 1921.

Serious problems have arisen in engine practice in relation todetermining the correct indication of the height of water in the boiler over the crown sheet, which is the top of the fire-box. Neither the water gauge nor the gauge cock of ordinary locomotive practice cbrrectly indicates the desired height of water over the crown sheet. The height of water as indicated by both the water gauge and gauge cock is more particularly at .fault during the period when the locomotive is in operation with the throttle valve of the engine open. I

- It has been determined by exhaustive investigation of this subject by the Federal boiler inspection service that in a locomotive boiler which usually has a sloping back head there is a very severe circulation in the back head of the boiler when the locomotive is in operation with the throttle valve of the engine open. This investigation disclosed that often while the locomotive is-in operation with the throttle valve of the engine open the water gauge and also all three gauge cocks indicate that the water in the boiler is above the height required, whereas on stopping the locomotive it has been determined that with the locomotive atrest the actual height of water in the boiler was far below the amount required for the safety of both the boiler and of the crown sheet.

This false indication in both the water gauge and gauge cock of usual locomotive practice often leads not only to the damage of the crown sheet, but has in many instances been a contributing factor in boiler explosions.

cable the use of the water column which invention makes possible and practi overcomes these difliculties and unnecessary hazards of the present locomotive and engine practice, and enables the operator or engineer to at all times and under all conditions know the correct height of the water in the boiler over the crown sheet.

The fact has definitely been determined that gauge cocks screwed directly to the boiler do not correctly indicate the general water level, and that in order to make them give a correct indication of the water level it is necessary to apply an intermediate device between the boiler and the gauge cock, which is the water column. This consists practically of a long cylinder of proper diameter with top and bottom connections to the steam space and water space of the boiler, and is provided with proper means for attaching to said column gauge cocks and a water gauge.

-Tl1eI'e is very little available space on the back head of a locomotive, as there are so many necessary appliances located there in order that they may be within easy reach and sight of the engineer at all'times. The available space for application of the water column is also greatly restricted by the main throttle lever. The application of two water glasses, one of which is applied to the water column on the right hand side of the back head, further restricts the back head space. It has therefore been necessary, in order to make my device practical in locomotive practice, to so construct the gauge cocks that the handles of the valves of the gauge cocks and of the water gauge cocks should lie as close as possible to the valves, as otherwise they will interfere with the other appliances. I have solved both of these problems by the valve disclosed herein.

Figure'l is 'a vertical section through one of the gauge cocks, as applied to a water column. e

In the drawings 3 is the main body of a water column to which is cast integrally a neck 4, having external left-hand thread 5, and on which is adapted to be mounted a gauge cock by means of a coupling nut 6, which is internally threaded at 7 with a left-hand thread adapted to engage the lefthand thread 5. I

The gauge cock has a body 8 which has a right-hand external thread 9 adapted to and the outer portion of body member 8 is externally threaded at 21, so as to be engaged by the internally threaded nut 22-. The handle, 23 is mounted by means of a ,lnut 24 at the upper end of said spindle 11.

The operation of the gauge cock is as fol-' lows:

The figure of the drawing shows gauge cock in the closed position. The spindle 11 being provided with a left-hand threaded inner member 15 will as'it is turned in the usual manner by means of handle 23 from right to left move the flat seat 13 of the spindle away from the composition disk 14, thereby permitting the water-to flow from the column 3 through the bores 19' and 12 through the outlet boring 20. If it is desired to replace or adjust the composition disk 14 while the boiler is in operation, then the spindle 11 is turned down as above indicated until the ball-shaped end 16 seats firmly in the tapered valve seat 18, thereby closing off any escape of water or steam from the column 3 into the gauge cook. The nut 22 and body member 8 of the gauge cock can then be removed so that the disk 14 can be changed or adjusted as desired without afi'ec-ting the position of the spindle 11. It should be especially noted that by placing the emergency valve seat 18 in the body of the bolumn 3 and that by arranging the gauge cock body 8 so that it is secured to the neck 4 of the column 3, a very material saving in the extension of the gauge cock from the body of the column 3 has been effected. This effects a very mate: rialsaving in the very restricted space available in the cab of the locomotive.

I claim:

1. A gauge cock having a single body member, a neck integral with a water column and a valve seat in the body of said water column, means'for securing said single body member to said neck, said bod-y member carrying a spindle with a ball shaped endadapted to seat in said valve seat.

2..In a gauge cook the combination, with an internally threaded neck integral with a water column, of a body having an external thread adapted to beengaged by an internally threaded nut connected to said neck,

a spindle having a flat valve seat adapted to seat against a composition diskwhlch seats on the base of said body, a threaded inner member on said spindle adapted to enon said spindle-adapted to seat in the valveseat in said neck, diagonal borings in said threaded inner member, a longitudinal slot in said spindle on the forward side of said flat valy e seat, an outlet boring in said body member, a nut threaded to the outer end of the body and a handle at the outer end of said spindle.

3. In a gauge cock an internally threaded neck of a water column, an externally threaded body adapted to be secured to said externally threaded neck by a coupling nut, a valve seat inthe base of said neck, a spindle having a threaded member adapted to engage the internal threading of said neck, a flat seat at the outer side of said threaded member adapted to seat against the inner end of the said body with a composition disk between and aball shaped inner end on said-spindle adapted to seat in the valve seat in said neck.

4. In a gauge cock having a body and a spindle the combination of a service valve carried by the spindle and a seat for said valve on the inner side of the body, a ta-.

pered valve seat in a Water column, and an emergency valve comprising a ball shaped member on the inner end of the spindle adapted to seat in said tapered valve seat in said Water column.

5. A gauge cock having a single body 6. A gauge cock having a single body' member, a neck integral with a water column, means for securing 'said singlebody member to said neck, means for controlling the flow of steam and water therethrough and a second means for controlling such flow from the water column.

7. A gauge cock having a single body member, a neck integral with a water column and a valve seat in 'the body of said water column, means for securing said single body member to said neck, means for con-- WILLIAM. OLIVER ASHE. 

